Cinema: The Pleasures of Texture

BLADE RUNNER Directed by Ridley Scott Screenplay by Hampton Fancher and
David Peoples

Is atmosphere smothering the story lines of smart new science-fantasy
movies? Is texture overwhelming the text? On the evidence of Ridley
Scott's Blade Runnerand his previous thriller, the 1979 Alienit
would seem so. Says David Dryer, who helped supervise the special
photographic effects of Blade Runner: "The environment in the film is
almost a protagonist." He and other talented craftsmen are lavishing
their imaginations on graphic designon high-tech spaceships and
déja vu futurismand allowing the characters to wander through a...